A Knight's Tale
by Kyogre
Summary: Tenebrae begs Ratatosk to awaken, and a boy appears instead. Marta promised to protect him, and she'll find the strength to do it, no matter what. Even if it means becoming a Knight to the Lord of Monsters.
1. Blood Purge

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Title: A Knight's Tale

Author: Kyogre (Ana)

Summary: Tenebrae begs Ratatosk to awaken, and a boy appears instead. Marta promised to protect him, and she'll find the strength to do it, no matter what.

Notes: A short AU drabble. I don't really like this game, but I felt I had a duty as a Symphonia fan. So let us never speak of this again.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

Palmacosta was burning.

Marta stifled a sob as she ran, her breath coming even shorter. Everything was hazy, but she couldn't tell if it was from tears or smoke.

'Why, Daddy?' she thought desperately. 'You're not like this! You're not! So why?'

She wanted to curl up somewhere and hide until the world started making sense again. But she couldn't do that. She'd made her decision when she helped Tenebrae escape the Vanguard. She'd made it even before that, she realized now, when she watched her father's just soldiers change into a crazed gang.

So instead, she kept running, sparing only a quick glance over her shoulder at the boy she was dragging along by the hand. His eyes were blank and unfocused, a strange colorless grey.

He had just appeared when Tenebrae begged Ratatosk's core to awaken, at first motionless and sprawled out like a broken doll. But he had just- _reacted_ when attacked, throwing Richter away bodily, the man's crimson blood reflecting in his eyes before he slumped again, exhausted.

Tenebrae had told her to protect him, and when Marta took him by the hand, he had followed her without any resistance.

They had gotten separated from the Centurion in the chaos, but the Vanguard were hot on their heels. (Marta stifled a hysterical giggle at her own lame pun.) She wouldn't let them get this boy – Ratatosk or whoever – no matter what. She wouldn't let them use his power for their twisted ends. She wouldn't let them become even more monstrous than they had.

She would-

Suddenly, the boy stopped, yanking her back with him. Just in time, as a powerful spell flashed in front of them, exploding where she would have stepped. They were both thrown back, and Marta felt a sharp, blinding pain as she crashed head-first into the ground.

She could feel something warm running down her face from her forehead, and she moaned quietly, trying to push herself up again.

"You shouldn't have interfered, Marta," Richter's cold voice reached her, as if through a great distance, echoing oddly.

Her vision swam, the man's tall dark form blurred almost beyond recognition. The black and red splotch shifted, something flashing in the firelight. (Richter had raised his sword, Marta reasoned out later, when she looked over her confused memories.) Then, suddenly, there was something between them. A navy form, topped with pale yellow. (The boy had stepped in front of her.)

"You dare, using his face-!" Richter hissed, his strangled voice rising in pure rage. (He sounded anguished, like someone had ripped his heart out and laughed, and laughed.)

She had to move. Tenebrae had trusted her. She couldn't let them-

Marta pushed herself to her feet, but it was too much. The world went gray and felt herself falling, then, warm hands. (That boy had caught her. That was twice he'd saved her.) Gently, hard ground beneath her.

A metallic screech nearby. (A blade meeting a blade. Someone had blocked Richter's attack.) Richter's angry voice shouting, fading out. (Someone had driven Richter off. Not the Vanguard, but maybe the Church? Or some good Samaritan? Or had it been that boy? She couldn't even be sure how much time passed.)

A strange drifting feeling, then reality slowly returned. Marta kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath, and another. She breathed smoke. Her right side was hot from the flames nearby. Opening her eyes, she saw the smoke-filled sky and the boy, standing beside her like a silent guardian.

It was comforting, and Marta allowed herself one stolen moment to just enjoy it.

Then, she pulled herself together and pushed herself to her feet. Taking his hand again, she glanced around and began to run again.

There was fire and destruction everywhere. A building collapsed as they passed, a wall of hot air, ash and smoke buffering the two of them. There were bodies, too.

Swallowing, her throat dry and painful, Marta tried to look away, but her eyes were constantly drawn to the horror of it, just like two years ago.

For a moment, she thought she had imagined it. One of the bodies, a woman, had seemed to move. Then, she saw it again. It hadn't been her imagination or a trick of the light.

As Marta pulled the boy toward her, the woman struggled futilely against the rubble that pinned her. "E-Emil?" she said painfully, her voice almost gone. Her eyes were clouded, and blood pooled from beneath the rubble. "Is that you, Emil? You have to run, quickly. G-go to Luin, your Aunt Flora and Uncle Alba will look after you…"

Marta drew a short breath, almost a gasp, opening her mouth to say they weren't "Emil," but the words wouldn't come. In the remains of what had once been a house, she could see two more bodies. A man, and a smaller form.

The woman smiled, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Emil… remember, Mama and Papa will always love you…"

Her breath rattled out and stilled. Looking away, Marta choked back a sob. 'Mama…' she thought desperately, 'Mom… were you thinking of me till the end too? Mommy, Daddy, come back! I need you!'

Her hand had tightened around the boy's as she struggled with her tears. He looked down at their joined hands blankly, then slowly squeezed back. Marta squeaked in surprise, her teary eyes snapping up to stare at him. He didn't meet her gaze, still seemingly ignorant of the world around him, but Marta gave him a smile anyway.

She wiped away her tears, reminding herself she had a duty. "Let's go," she told him. She received no response as she began to run again.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

They made it out somehow, losing themselves in a crowd of refugees. The people of Palmacosta, the ones that had made it out, herded together, and no one looked at twice two more lost children, not when those children weren't theirs.

Wedged in between strangers lost in their own grief, Marta felt safe enough to pass out in a dreamless sleep, her hand still clutching the boy's.

It was daylight when she woke, the people around her shifting as they began trying to make some sense of what had happened and what they would do now. The boy sat motionless next to her, still holding her hand.

Although she wanted to find Tenebrae or for Tenebrae to find them, Marta knew she couldn't linger near Palmacosta. They had to leave, so Marta forced herself to her feet and began to move them toward the road. They weren't the only ones there either. Many were gathering their strength to trek to Asgard or Luin or even Hima, to find relatives or just get away from a city that was beginning to seem cursed.

She almost lost him in the crowd, but the boy had taken to following her even when she didn't lead him by the hand, and that helped a little. He seemed a bit more focused too, following people with his gaze and watching everything around him, if a little distractedly.

Someone was handing out supplies, and eventually a woman pressed a sandwich into Marta's hand. She studied the two of them for a moment with a small furrow in her brow. Marta could only imagine what they looked like, covered in ash, dirt and even blood.

"Are you two alright?" she asked finally.

'No! There's nothing alright!' a little voice inside Marta shouted. 'Why, Daddy?' it sobbed. Marta smiled brightly. "We're fine, really! Thanks so much for the food."

The woman clearly didn't believe her, and Marta had to wonder if maybe her smile had been rather strained. "It's not much, but it's all we've got right now," the woman said instead. She paused. "I'm Cacao, by the way."

"I'm Marta," the girl replied automatically. Cacao smiled encouragingly, and her gaze shifted to the boy. "This is…" A name, a name, any name- "Emil."

"Nice to meet you, Marta, Emil," Cacao said. "If you don't mind me asking… are you two alone? Do you need help finding someone?"

'Yes, a big black dog-looking thing. Usually invisible, terrible sense of humor.'

She had to make the woman leave them along somehow. The more they talked, the better she'd remember them, the more chances the Vanguard would track them down. Marta looked away, biting her lip. "Our parents… Mom was killed two years ago… and Emil's parents… in the fire…"

"I'm so sorry," Cacao whispered, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I-it's alright. We're going to Luin. Emil's aunt and uncle live there," Marta said instead. "We'll be fine. We _will_."

"Luin? That's far. Here, take a few more," Cacao insisted, passing more sandwiches to them. "Take care, okay?" And then she finally moved away, carrying on with her work.

'I'm sorry, Miss, about using your son's name,' Marta prayed as they began down the path, keeping to the side to avoid the throng of other travelers. 'Please forgive me. I'll light a candle for each of you, I promise.'

"Not bad," a quite voice came from beside her, making Marta jump in surprise. A dark shape appeared in the shadows beside the road, and with only a quick glance, Marta hurried toward it.

"Tenebrae!" she said happily, when they were safely out of sight and hearing range of the road. "I'm so glad to see you! Where have you been?"

"I had a rather rough time of things with the Vanguard," he replied dryly. "I had to take time to regenerate, then came to find you as soon as possible. I can see you didn't have it easy either." His gaze lingered for a moment on her forehead, where she had tied a make-shift bandage after washing away the caked blood from the wound.

He shook his head faintly and turned to the boy. "And you've kept Lord Ratatosk's temporary vessel safe as well. You did admirably in such circumstances."

"Vessel?" Marta echoed. "Explain a bit, won't you, Tenebrae? What's going on? Who is this boy anyway?"

"'He' is simply an empty shell created by Lord Ratatosk's core as a last resort. Lord Ratatosk sleeps, so the vessel is left empty. When he has recovered, he will take control again."

Tenebrae paused, letting the information sink in. Frowning for a moment, Marta wondered, 'But if Ratatosk was sleeping, who saved me?'

Shaking away the thought, she asked instead, "So what should we do now?"

"Above all, we must protect Lord Ratatosk until he is strong enough to awaken again," Tenebrae replied without hesitation. "His power must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands."

'Like the Vanguard. Like Daddy. I can't… trust them anymore, not when it comes to doing what's right,' she thought unhappily. "I understand. I'll help you any way I can, Tenebrae," Marta swore. "Though, I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

Tenebrae's inhuman face seemed almost gentle as he told her, "Nonsense. You looked after Lord Ratatosk's vessel just like I asked you to."

"I wasn't able to protect him," she admitted. "He had to save _me_."

"You did everything you could, I have no doubt. You are a young girl, and only a human with no core…"

"Tenebrae?" the girl wondered, as the Centurion trailed off, apparently lost in thought.

"There is a way," he said slowly, "if you are willing, for you to gain more power."

"With a core? Like… Alice and Daddy?" Marta shuddered at the thought.

Tenebrae snorted. "Of course not. There is another way. Make a pact with Lord Ratatosk. I will facilitate. Swear to protect him, and he will lend you his strength."

"You can do that?" She already knew his answer, and hers. "I'll do it. Let's do it, Tenebrae."

"Think carefully," he cautioned, "after you make the pact and give your vow, you will be held to it."

"I'll do it. It's my duty," Marta replied, her voice growing more steady and determined. "I _vow_… I will protect this world with Ratatosk's power!"

The boy reached out suddenly and took her hand. His eyes were on her, just her, with a sharp focus she hadn't seen in him before. Tenebrae moved between them, and even a human like Marta could feel the power gathering around the three of them.

"Lord Ratatosk accepts your vow," he intoned, guiding the mana between them. Marta shuddered a little, feeling it flow into her. The brilliant glow around the boy engulfed her. "Now rise, Knight of Ratatosk…"

"Marta."

It was the first word she had ever heard him say.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

End note: Yes, Lloyd saved them, but Marta was too out of it to notice. Yes, the dynamic with Richter is all messed up, but I tried to imagine using a different Vanguard member and it didn't work for me. Anyway, Emil can get some nice Ratatosk-induced flashbacks about Richter breaking down over Aster's death and then feel super guilty about that whole thing instead. And he can totally smell the Martel on Lloyd and hate him for that. _It makes perfect sense. Shut up._ And anyway, we are never speaking of this again.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~


	2. Asgard I

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World

Title: A Knight's Tale

Author: Kyogre (Ana)

Summary: Marta hadn't realized calling him "Emil" over and over again would make him think he really _was_ Emil. Ratatosk's empty vessel learns about the world, and about lies.

Notes: NEVER SPEAK OF IT. I actually don't know DNW very well, so this is probably not at all accurate.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

Marta used the same story of going to Luin to meet "Emil's" relative with everyone who asked, since she just wasn't creative enough to come up with something else. So when a nice woman at a rest stop asked for their names as she offered them stew, and the boy solemnly replied, "I'm Emil," Marta didn't see anything wrong with that. He was just copying her in that, like most of everything else.

She didn't realize the problem until later, when they reached a crossroads.

"Left to Asgard, right to Luin," Marta read to herself as she studied the marker at the fork in the road. She glanced at the caravan they had been temporarily traveling with. It would be suspicious if anyone noticed their change in destination, so she hung back, letting them pass, before surreptitiously turning to the left hand path.

Only to find herself held back. Looking back over her shoulder, she found the boy standing motionless, staring at the marker with a small furrow in his brow. He had become a bit more expressive as they traveled, though still so spacey.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He'd started talking a bit too.

"Marta," he drew out her name, like he always did. "Marta, that's not right."

"No, this is left," she joked.

He turned to regard her seriously, the humor still a little over his head. "Marta, aren't we going to Luin?" he asked.

"Tenebrae explained. There have been really strong winds in Asgard, so he thinks one of the Centurion cores is there. We're going to look for it," Marta explained a little impatiently. It didn't occur to her until she'd finished that she had never told him what a Centurion was. Or that they were looking for them, for that matter.

He frowned, clearly not quite understanding her. "But Marta, what about my aunt and uncle?"

That was when Marta knew they had a problem.

"An empty vessel," Tenebrae had said. He'd started out as an emotionless doll that defended itself when attacked and only followed her when she dragged it. But he had slowly been changing. He started to speak. He copied her gestures and returned her smiles. He _watched_ and _listened_, and he heard her say the same thing over and over again.

_"This is Emil. We're going to meet his aunt and uncle in Luin."_

And he didn't know she was lying.

Did he even know what lying was?

What was she supposed to do? Where was Tenebrae?

Marta realized she had been silent too long, but the boy was still watching her patiently. He probably didn't even know to be suspicious. She had no idea how to explain, or whether she even should explain. This wasn't Ratatosk waking up, she was sure, but Tenebrae had said nothing about any other possibility either.

She couldn't tell him, not alone like this, when she didn't even really understand herself. But she didn't want to lie. She had to protect what was left of her – and the Vanguard's – honor. "We have to get all the Centurion cores, before the Vanguard or anyone else does," she temporized. "If we don't, lots of people will be hurt. So we have to go to Asgard as soon as possible."

The boy regarded her silently for a long moment, thinking over what she had said. "If people get hurt, it's bad," he said finally, as if reasoning out a great discovery. Marta smiled, somehow surprised but pleased, and nodded. His eyes widened in realization, and suddenly, he was the one pulling her along.

"W-wait!" Marta protested, stumbling.

His eyes were bright and _alive_, as he looked back at her over his shoulder. "Hurry! It'll be bad if people get hurt!"

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

The Centurion of Darkness caught up with the pair as they entered Asgard.

"Tenebrae!" Marta exclaimed in relief. Lowering her voice, she added quickly, "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Marta!" the boy drew out. "We have to hurry!"

"You'll need to know where to go first," Tenebrae pointed out dryly. "Unfortunately, I was unable to determine the source of the extreme winds, or where Ventus's core might be."

"Well, we can try asking the mayor," Marta offered.

"Very well. I will lead the way," Tenebrae agreed, ghosting ahead of them.

Marta had heard of Asgard, the city of wind and ruins, that it was a beautiful, historic place and that everyone should visit at least once. The town she saw around them was… decrepit. It was practically a ruin itself. The buildings were heavily damaged, the streets littered with rubble. All the windows and doors had been barricaded, and there wasn't another person in sight.

Shuddering a little as the wind began to pick up, she thought, 'Tenebrae said disaster would strike if the Centurions remained absent, but I didn't realize it would be like this. And this is just the start…'

Tenebrae paused, lifting his nose as if to scent the strengthening breeze. "The mana flow is shifting. We should hurry," he said with surprising urgency before taking off down a twisting path. The two children jogged after him.

The wind had begun to whistle through the town.

It tugged on Marta's hair, tangled her legs. A few more moments, and she could barely keep her balance as she ran. Then, another, stronger burst, and suddenly, only her toes were scraping the ground.

With a shriek, Marta found herself lifted up, into the air.

It wasn't flying, she was sure of it. It wasn't even falling up. The closest she could think of was drowning, like the time she had fallen off the pier in Palmacosta. The currents had pushed her every which way, leaving her confused, powerless and absolutely terrified.

"Marta!" the boy yelled. He turned and jumped after her, grasping her hand in one of his and catching hold of what used to be a signpost with the other. For a moment, they flailed in the air like a human kite. Suddenly, the wind changed direction, sending them crashing into cliff face along the path.

Not wasting a moment, he was pulling her to her feet and down the path again, pressed almost flat again the wall. Struggling to keep her eyes open against the wind, Marta thought she saw a dark cavity in the cliff face just a little further ahead.

Then, the boy was dragging Marta inside, into darkness, just in time, as she felt her feet be pulled away from the ground once more. Tumbling head over heels, the two children collapsed in a heap, battered but safe for the moment. Tenebrae appeared beside them, his markings glowing in the dark.

"W-where are we?" Marta slurred, sitting up and rubbing at her new so-to-be bruises.

"This is one of Asgard's ancient monument caves," Tenebrae explained with surprisingly calm, even as he nosed at the pair in search of more serious injuries.

Marta submitted to his examination without protest, secretly a little touched by this subtle show of concern. Instead, she looked around the cave, her eyes adjusting to the dim torch light. Deeper in, she could just make out the edges of the majestic paintings that drew people from across all of Sylvarant – and now from Tethe'alla as well.

Beside her, the boy seemed far more focused on what lay beyond the cave, as if he could stare the raging winds into submission. (…Could he? No, of course not. He wasn't Ratatosk, whose power had been severely depleted in any case.)

"How long does this last anyway?" Marta asked, turning back to Tenebrae.

The Centurion had pulled away, apparently satisfied with their well-being. "The storms have been getting longer. At least an hour, maybe several," he replied.

Smiling, she placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, there's nothing we can do except wait. How about taking a look at the cave paintings?" she suggested as he reluctantly turned to face her. "We probably won't have time later, and it's an incredible opportunity."

Tenebrae's gaze fell on her, considering, before he spoke up as well. "Indeed. It's a rare opportunity."

"Okay," the boy agreed slowly, climbing to his feet and offering her a hand up. He started to head deeper in, but stopped, confused, when she didn't follow.

"I need to talk to Tenebrae about something," she said, forcing herself not to squirm guiltily. "Go on without me. I'll catch up."

He considered her for a long moment before nodding again. Watching as he wandered off, Marta sighed.

"I did not expect the vessel to develop such a detailed consciousness," Tenebrae said quietly after a moment, his tone and expression unreadable.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Marta admitted, her hands clenching. "We have a problem. I… well, you see, I've been using this same story since we left Palmacosta, to explain what we're doing. I told everyone his name is Emil and we're going to see his aunt and uncle in Luin."

Tenebrae listened calmly, nodding encouragingly. "That is a good cover, Lady Marta. Of course there would be questions about two children traveling alone. You have done admirable so far."

"But that's just it! It's not okay at all!" Marta cried, wringing her hands. "He thinks he _is_ Emil! He thinks we really _are_ going to Luin to meet his aunt and uncle! _He doesn't realize I was lying!_"

Silence stretched between them. "…I see. That _is_ a problem," Tenebrae said finally. Marta glared, and he sighed. "Well, there is no helping it. I suppose we will either have to travel to Luin or make up some excuse as to why we can't."

For a moment, Marta could only stare at him, stunned. "You're suggesting we keep lying?" she demanded. "I won't! It's wrong! And he doesn't even know better!"

"It doesn't matter," Tenebrae told her coolly. "Don't think of it as lying, if that helps. Think of it as… acting, playing. It's a game of pretend. Just because the doll has learned to imitate life does not mean it is truly alive."

"W-what?" Marta wondered. 'He's… not real? That can't be true. He saved me! He took my hand and smiled at me! He's not just a doll! …Is he?'

"Don't get attached, Lady Marta. The vessel may have created a simulacrum of life to better protect itself, but that illusion will be erased once Lord Ratatosk awakens to control of what is his," Tenebrae counseled. "Always remember – 'he' is not real. Your duty is to Lord Ratatosk as his Knight. That is all."

'He's not real, he's not real,' Marta repeated to herself. But no matter how many times she said it, she couldn't believe it in her heart.

"Fine," she spat, frustrated and furious – not even at Tenebrae, but at herself and the entire messed up world. "Fine, I'll 'play' along."

Stalking away, she called out, "Emil! Emil!"

It was the first time she had called him by name.

~"o"~"o"~"o"~

The boy who thought of himself as Emil wandered through the painted cavern almost thoughtlessly. While he could, just barely, appreciate the inherent beauty of the images spread across the walls, their meaning and significance was lost on him, like most things in the world, really.

What he knew for certain was what Marta wasn't with him. It was the first time they had ever been separated. He… didn't want it. It was… it was… empty.

Stopping suddenly in the middle of the cave, he thought about that. He wanted Marta. He wanted… to go back to Marta. He would go back to Marta.

But as he turned around to do just that, Emil realized there was a slight problem. Wandering aimlessly, he had not paid attention to where he was going and had not remembered the way. As he looked back on the branching paths of the cave system, he realized he didn't know which one led back to Marta.

"Oh," he said, "I'm lost."

Emil didn't know to panic or worry. After all, Marta would wait for him, and he would find the right way back. Instead, shrugging to himself, he set off down the nearest tunnel. It was a dead end, so he returned and tried another, this time making sure to keep track.

The torchlight was almost hypnotic, faint and flickering, and Emil could feel himself being lulled into a daze as he tried one tunnel after another. Shaking his head, he hurried along. The figures on the walls seemed to move as he passed, reaching for him from the wavering shadows.

'Marta, Marta, Marta,' he chanted in his mind, quickening his pace.

Suddenly, a figure – solid, real – loomed out of the darkness. Emil halted abruptly, feeling as he was rooted to the spot. The man – tall, with long cerulean hair and dark clothes – turned to face him, his expression blank like a well-crafted mask.

Emil drew a startled breath, opening his mouth to speak, but what came out was…

"_It's been a long time, traitor._"

His mouth moved, his voice sounded, but it wasn't him at all.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he demanded, clearly used to being obeyed.

Emil's head tilted, his lips pulling into a smirk. "_You dare to forget me? You dare to believe yourself free of my retribution? You, that lying pact-breaker, his weakling sister, his coward dog – you will all pay,_" Emil's voice hissed out.

"You're-!" The man's mask slipped, showing his shock and growing dread.

Emil's hand moved, his fingers like claws. The man shifted, drawing back as he prepared for battle.

'Marta! Marta, I don't understand!' Emil thought, unable to do anything as the thing in him moved him to _hurt_ the strange man.

But both of them froze as another voice echoed down the tunnels.

"Emil! Emil!"

It was Marta. She continued to call, her voice growing closer. Without even thinking, Emil answered.

"Marta!" It was his voice now, just him again, whatever had come up out of the darkness retreating again. "Marta!" Emil called again, his joy and relief coloring his voice. His, _his_.

Emerging out of the shadows, Marta ran to his side. She grasped his hand, clinging to his arm. "Thank goodness! I was so worried!" she exclaimed, looking him over quickly before turning her attention to the strange man.

His mask had returned, studying the pair of them expressionlessly.

"Hi!" Marta said, hiding everything behind a bright smile. "Are you hiding from the winds too?"

The man seemed to hesitate before answering. "…You could say that."

"Yeah! They're really scary! I was almost carried off, for real, before Emil saved me!" Marta continued, ignoring his unease and suspicion. "Is this your first time visiting Asgard? I heard it wasn't like this before."

"…It was not. This is… unnatural," the man said slowly. "…Are you aware of the cause?"

"Everything's all messed everywhere," Marta replied. "I guess it's because the two worlds became one again."

"…Indeed." With one last bemused glance at Emil, the man stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

"What a weird guy," Marta commented, looking after him. "Well, let's get going. The winds should have died down by now."

"…Yeah," Emil agreed, his hand tightening around hers. "Let's go and stop people from being hurt."

~ "o" ~ "o" ~


End file.
